Live From PeruModa 2014: New Silver Peruvian Jewelry

April 10, 2014byJennifer Heebner

I wasn’t really sure what to expect at the PeruModa show. I didn’t know much about the design aesthetic of Peruvian jewelry, but I’ll admit that I anticipated it to be kind of ethnic: maybe colored beads, some hammered effects. I didn’t have a clear picture in my mind of what the jewelry would look like, because I’ve had limited exposure to Peruvian designs. But with one day down, I now have a better idea of Peru’s jewelry situation, which primarily includes silver, good craftsmanship, excellent prices, and modern interpretations of Inca-inspired motifs.

Home Shopping Network personality and jewelry designer Stella Chow of Jade of Yesteryear, whom I met yesterday, may have summarized it best. “Peru is the new sacred ground for quality,” she explained. Labor prices in China have risen, and few possess a passion for the attention to detail involved in production, but Peruvians still “love making jewelry,” she added.

A representative from Richline was also present and has worked with several firms here for a few years. “They’re real artisans,” explained Linda Levin of the buying team. And with karat gold coming back into popularity in the U.S., Levin was eager for some new products to source for her inventory.

So with the occasional help of an interpreter (I don’t speak Spanish, and many exhibitors did), I interviewed a number of jewelry firms exhibiting at the fair. Six of these companies are featured here in mini profiles; expect more on Friday.

My takeaway: Strong modern aesthetic combined with some fabricated components; think of the line as the love child of Brazil’s Antonio Bernardo and any German designer with a strong architectural look.